Automatic document feeder

Abstract

An automatic document feeder for sending a document from a document setting position on a document bearing plate to a document feeding path and returning the document onto the document bearing plate after feeding of the document along the document feeding path. A document mover includes a moving plate for moving the document that has been returned to the document bearing plate to the document setting position. A document presser presses the document that has been moved by the document mover to the document setting position. A controller controls the operation of the document presser and the document mover. The controller operates the moving plate of the document mover to move the document that has been returned to the document bearing plate to the document setting position, then operates the document presser to press the document that has been moved to the document setting position, and causes the moving plate of the document mover to recede, while maintaining the document in a pressed state.

What we claim is: 
     
       1. An automatic document feeder adapted to send a document set at a document setting position of a document bearing plate for bearing documents to a document feeding path, and return the document onto the document bearing plate after feeding the document along the document feeding path; wherein the automatic document feeder includes document moving means having a moving plate for moving the document returned onto the document bearing plate to the document setting position, document pressing means for pressing the document moved by the document moving means to the document setting position, and control means for controlling the operation of the document pressing means and the document moving means, and   the control means operates the moving plate of the document moving means to move the document returned onto the document bearing plate to the document setting position, then operates the document pressing means to press the document moved to the document setting position, and causes the moving plate of the document moving means to recede while maintaining the document in a pressed state.   
     
     
       2. The automatic document feeder of claim 1, wherein the control means maintains the pressed state by the document pressing means until a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the moving plate of the document moving means recedes to a predetermined position. 
     
     
       3. The automatic document feeder of claim 1, wherein the document pressing means is set document pressing means which presses the document when the document set at the document setting position of the document bearing plate is sent to the document feeding path. 
     
     
       4. The automatic document feeder of claim 1, wherein the document bearing plate is constituted such that its sending portion on the downstream side in a document feeding direction is inclined upward.